Confessions of a Tired Mind
by grey
Summary: A quite short and fluffy VJ moment. Light read, I guess.


If you're really going to read this I suggest you first read an earlier fic of mine called "Reluctant Promise. It's quite similar in its fluffy pointlessness and very lacking plot, and it might help explain why Jet is somewhat out of character in this.

  
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Confessions of a Tired Mind

With a blissful smile he was too tired to suppress pasted across his face he fell down onto the soft, as well as dusty, surface of the bed. Wearily he pushed off one of his muddy boots with the other and then repeated the procedure with said other.  
            He definitely needed sleep tonight; his body screaming in protest with every small movement he dared produce. Should sleep not come to him he would most certainly expire tomorrow morning when Virginia, as per custom, would burst into his room to drag him out of bed. Damn her and her early morning terrorism!  
            Yawning Jet tried to distract his mind with pictures of jumping sheep in an attempt to keep it from wandering to the ordeals of the passed day. As well as his worn out body his mind needed its share of rest. However, despite his efforts, the sheep soon transformed into hideous beasts as he involuntarily recalled one of the uglier battles of the day. He remembered with unaccustomed emotion how close Virginia had come to being bitten. Shifting slightly a dull ache to his left forearm then reminded him of the cuts and bruises he himself had received while protecting her. Yes, lately he had been trying to protect her, Jet was aware of that. In the past he had always been quick to blame it on the Mediums and Personal Skills and whatnot's. Now he wasn't so sure anymore as to where the blame should be put.  
            Between battles Virginia had been energetic as always bothering him with the usual complaints regarding his cold demeanor and money-makes-the-world-spin attitude. You'd think she'd learn to accept it sooner or later, but alas she did not. In fact she seemed even more determined to show him the errors of his way now than ever.  
            Then to make matters worse she simply had to make a huge fuss on the few occasions he actually acted somehow outside of his usual sulky persona. A most annoying habit that really killed any desire to change from his side.  
            Mentally scolding himself for thinking of girls at a time like this when he desperately craved sleep, Jet turned over to lie on his side. In an effort to clear his mind of anything Virginia related he began thinking of ARMs spec.'s and future modifications to his own Airget-lamh B/V2. His mind processing the familiar and frankly quite boring subject, he slowly began drifting away into slumber.  
            His state of heavenly relaxation dancing on the edge of unconsciousness did not last long however, as a series of gentle taps on his door sounded through the room. Gentle taps that spoke of pending doom.  
            Slowly, suffering with every inch he parted from the warm bed, Jet rose while bitterly cursing whoever had the nerve to wake him up at such a late hour.  
_            This better be important…_ he thought as he wandered toward the wooden door dividing his room from the hallway outside.  
            Dressed in a pinkish nightgown Virginia greeted him with a smile as he opened the door. Painfully swallowing his last curse Jet stared at the visiting girl in a sudden loss of words. While part of him felt like crying over this new very possible hindrance between him and sweet sleep, another rarely expressed part of him was annoyingly curious as to the cause of this nightly visit.  
            Blushing Virginia directed her stare down at her bare feet, as Jet made no effort to speak.  
            "Um…" she began with un-Virginia like awkwardness "can I come in?"  
            Jet wordlessly moved out of the way still battling with his mixed feelings over the best course of action, and she happily entered. She moved to the center of the room where she turned around to watch him intently.  
            For a moment Jet only stared back, something very distant in his eyes. Then finally his curiosity got the better of him, walking triumphantly out of the battle with his desire for rest.  
            "What's wrong, Virginia?" he spoke while closing the door behind him. He made sure his voice was embellished with the appropriate amount of annoyance.  
            Annoyance was however, together with any other signs of discomfort from his side, wasted on Virginia since a long time back. Jet was well aware of this even if he couldn't quite recall when things had gone so wrong.  
            "I just need your help with something…" Virginia voiced her words tentatively while drawing circles in the rug with her big toe.  
            "And this has to be done right now? Half past midnight?" Jet complained for the sake of complaining. Virginia shot him a glance and ceased moving her foot.  
            "Well, I kinda need help right now…" She trailed off. Jet slowly began to recognize her awkward behavior as embarrassment, something he hadn't believed the girl to be capable of.  
            "So what is it?" he questioned.  
            "I can't sleep" Her gaze left the floor and found his eyes.  
            Jet sighed.  
_            Neither can I. Guess why…_ he refrained from voicing the thought, even though it had sounded neat, rhyming and all.  
            "…So? Go talk to Clive or something. That guy could sedate a stampeding horde of cattle with his endless chatter. I usually doze off within five minutes…" Jet spoke without any signs of admiration for his friend's amazing ability.  
            Virginia giggled slightly but shook her head.  
            "I don't want to talk to Clive…" she stated taking a few steps toward him, waiting for him to catch the drift.  
_            I want to talk to you, Jet.  
_            "Of course!" he exclaimed, tired sarcasm flooding his voice, "God forbid we wake up anyone else but Jet."  
            "You were asleep?" Virginia looked at him, slightly puzzled, "But you're still wearing all your clothes."  
            "I…" Jet began when he realized the truth in what she spoke. Indeed he was still fully clad, wearing even the dual scarves around his neck. Watching his ever-energetic friend Jet felt somewhat embarrassed for his current state of pitiful fatigue.  
            "You must've been exhausted falling asleep with your clothes on…" Virginia guessed correctly, a worried look on her face, "I'm sorry…" she whispered while searching for his eyes with an apologetic look.  
            "Don't look so damn miserable…" Jet muttered in response avoiding her gaze, he wasn't very good at handling apologies. "You're making me feel bad. It's not like I'm angry or anything."  
            "Is it really okay?" Virginia still wouldn't wipe that worried look off her face. She was leaning forward slightly, peering at him as she asked the question.  
            "Yeah, yeah." Jet mumbled, "The damage is already done, right? I'm awake…So what do you want me to do? Tell a bedtime story? Sing a lullaby?"  
            "You'd really sing?" Virginia giggled clasping her hands together expressing her delight over the idea.  
            "Well…no. Never" he stated causing the girl to giggle some more.  
            A moment then passed when neither of the two said anything. Jet used the time to remove his scarves and throw them onto a chair next to his bed, something he instantly regretted feeling oddly naked without them. He didn't feel any better with Virginia staring at him the whole time.  
           "Actually," she was the first to speak again, "I, um, don't really know why I came here… It's not like I wanted you to do anything about it, I just kinda wanted to see you." she cringed slightly as she heard herself speak the true, but oh so corny words. "D-Does it make any sense to you?"  
            "I can't really relate…" Jet sighed. He'd always enjoyed being alone.  
            "But it's okay if I stay for awhile?"  
            "Didn't I just tell you that?"  
            Virginia grinned. Closing the gap between them she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, an action that triggered the rise of a fierce blush on the face of the white-haired gunman.  
            "You're so cute!" she exclaimed happily leaning in to rest against his chest. Jet was mystified, he couldn't for the life of him imagine what part of him was 'cute'. Could it be his blatant disregard for other people's feelings? Or perhaps his charming inability to express human emotion? He didn't know. Well, probably none of the above anyway.  
            "W-Whatever…" he tried desperately to remain indifferent, but went on to wrap her up in a gentle but still somewhat awkward embrace. Gladly returning the embrace Virginia sighed contently. A few tranquil minutes of closeness passed before anyone spoke again.  
            "Do you think we make a good couple?" she suddenly asked out of the blue, speaking into his chest.  
            "C-Couple? You… and me?" in disbelief he released her from the hug and pushed her to an arm length's distance. Virginia sported a disappointed look. Was it over the loss of his embrace or his next to total unawareness of the romantic tension between them? Perhaps it was both? He couldn't really tell, clueless as he truly was. "I…" he began, a bead of nervous sweat forming on his brow.  
            "Yes. You and me." Virginia spoke with endless patience.  
            "I… I'm not so sure that I am… the right person to, uh… what I mean is… I guess… …w-why me?" Jet winced as he finished the hesitant and disastrously fragmented excuse for a sentence.  
            A hurt look spread across the face of his young friend spawning unpleasant feelings of guilt within himself.  
            "You make it sound like some sort of… undeserved punishment…" Virginia was beginning to regret ever asking the question. She should have known better. True, Jet wasn't as cold as he had once been and he appeared to care for her, but stronger feelings, other than anger, still seemed foreign to him.  
            "I'm sorry" he felt as if he needed to do something. Touch her or hold her hands or something other than speaking his emotions, as they so often came out distorted after traveling the sometimes incredibly long distance from his mind to his mouth. But in the end he remained rooted on the spot with his hands clasped tightly to his body, "that's not how I feel at all" was all he managed to say, jaws clenched shut in frustration.  
           "Oh?" was all his female companion would utter. It was clear she wanted to hear more.   
            "I hate to sound like such a whine," Jet looked away, he really did hate having to speak his mind "and after all the talk we've had about inferiority complexes and belittling oneself… but I honestly can't figure out what it is you see in me. I'm the sulky asshole of the team, remember? You know, to complement the irritating know-it-all scientist-wannabe, the exhaustingly energetic leader and the rambling idiot-priest for womanizer. I'm not supposed to be likeable"  
            Breathing quickly to make up for the lack of oxygen his body had suffered during his lengthy rant, Jet dared a quick glance in Virginia's direction. She wore an undecipherable look on her face, but at least it was no longer a look of sadness and hurt.  
            "So what you're saying is…" she began somewhat tentatively, "that you were only worried about me? That you really don't mind if we're a couple, as long as I have a reason to like you?"  
            "Uh…Did I really say all that?" Jet wondered out aloud.  
            Virginia was smiling now and Jet almost did the same thing out of relief. She was really cute when smiling.  
            "Yep" Virginia confirmed.  
            "…Ok. I'll agree to this couple thing on one condition…" he sighed. The roles had shifted back to normal again and he could return to his old sullen indifferent self without fear of hurting his friend.  
            "What's that?" Virginia looked curious.  
            "You'll let me sleep two extra hours tomorrow."  
            She smiled and hugged him. Jet took that as a 'yes' and returned the gesture.

A short time later walking Virginia the small distance back to her room, Jet felt compelled to know what it was he'd gotten himself into.  
            "So what do couple's do anyway?" he asked, his voice not completely without trepidation.  
            "Hold hands and hug and other stuff, I guess" Virginia smiled at the though. She wondered if Jet had any clue regarding the 'other stuff'. Probably not, she figured.  
            "What? That's all? You've pretty much forced me to do all that already"  
            "Yeah, but now you have to pretend to like it"  
            "I have to?" Jet smiled "I'm not sure I'm that good an actor…"  
            "JET!"  
            His comment earned him a hard punch to the shoulder but it was worth it.

  
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The End

  



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